Past Lectures

Past Lectures at TMM

The annual Lecture Series began at The Military Museums in the year 2000, and has been an important and popular event at the museum ever since.

The Fall / Winter Lecture Series provides an opportunity to hear speakers from a variety of backgrounds discuss topics of historical, political, social and military significance. The following is a list of lectures that have taken place at the museum since 2009.

Past Lectures at TMM

Winter 2018

Join author Susan Raby-Dunne for a three week journey through Vietnam with eight war veterans and healers Edward Tick and Kate Dahlstedt. From the Mekong Delta to the DMZ the itinerary was dictated by each veteran’s former Area of Operation.

What began with a nerve-wracking arrival in the country of their nightmares, became a transformative, and for some, joyful journey of healing, catharsis and redemption.

Thurs 29 Nov 2018: The Vietnam War in Focus: Images from Canadians

Lecturer: Rory M. Cory

Rory M. Cory, Senior Curator at The Military Museums will speak on the Vietnam War, as illustrated by the exhibit Tour of Duty: Canadians and the Vietnam War. The general course of the war will be followed and described, using the personalities from the exhibit to lead the audience through the timeline.

A wealth of photos from the time period were sourced during development of the exhibit, and these will be used as visuals throughout the lecture. Most have never been seen by the general public. Some of the remarkable convergences that happened during the exhibit development, and that made it possible, will also be described. The lecture will be followed by a highlight tour of the exhibit, showcasing the artifacts of the personalities discussed in the lecture.

Fri 23 Nov 2018: The Most Beautiful Girl in the World is an Army Nurse

Lecturer: Sharon Wildwind

Sharon Wildwind was 23 years old when she went to Vietnam with the U. S. Army Nurse Corps. Forty-eight years later, as part of the Military Museum’s Tour of Duty Vietnam exhibit, she invites you to accompany her on a trip back to when IVs were administered from glass bottles, nurses stood when doctors entered the room, and all women who went to Vietnam as nurses volunteered to go there.

Wed 21 Nov 2018: Vietnam Protest Posters

Lecturer: Katherine Ylitalo

Protest Posters from the 1960's and 1970's from the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art and folk art woodblock prints from the Village of Dong Ho in Vietnam are on exhibit in "Tour of Duty." Curator Katherine Ylitalo will discuss the role of these prints in relation to the War in Vietnam.

The Protest Posters are currently a popular area of interest, especially in North America; new research, analysis and exhibitions are opening discussions about the form, content and context of these works. In addition, some of the artists who were considered "unknown artists" are now coming to light.

Wed 24 Oct 2018: Beyond the imitation game.

Lecturers: Peter Berg and David O’Keefe

Beyond the Imitation Game: From Dieppe & James Bond to Blackberry & quantum encryption Discover the remarkable story of the Enigma machine, a device invented in 1918 and used to encrypt the most secret communications in Hitler’s Germany.

Learn about the machine’s inner workings, the code-breaking efforts of Alan Turing, the ties to modern encryption technology, and what Canada and James Bond have to do with it all. Witness an original Enigma machine and on-stage demonstration, and engage in an in-depth question and answer period.

Award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster Ted Barris will be reading from and signing his latest book, Dam Busters: Canadian Airmen and the Secret Raid against Nazi Germany.

Join us as we recount the night that changed the Second World War thanks to the 133 airmen who took 19 Lancaster bombers in a secret air raid against Germany. The legendary military operation involved a raid over the Ruhr River hydroelectric dams, massive water reservoirs, which powered Nazi Germany’s military-industrial complex.

Based on interviews, personal accounts, flight logs, maps, and photographs of the Canadians involved, Dam Busters recounts the dramatic story of these young Commonwealth bomber crews tasked with a high-risk mission against an enemy prepared to defend the Fatherland to the death.

Thurs, 21 June, 2018: National Aboriginal Day

Lecturer: Warrant Officer Quinn

National Aboriginal Day is a day we recognize and celebrate the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Indigenous people in Canada. The Military Museums is proud to present our speaker, Warrant Officer (WO) Quinn on June 21st at 7 pm, to celebrate the unique heritage and outstanding achievements of our nation’s aboriginal people.

With 28 years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), WO Quinn has conducted tours in former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan, instructed in the Bold Eagle program, and served as CAF Eagle Staff Carrier at the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

WO Quinn will present on his career in the Canadian Armed Forces and convey who he is as a soldier and person, through his achievements and accomplishments. With this, he coincides the importance of National Aboriginal Day and aboriginal contributions to Canada’s military.

The foundation of the Aboriginal way of life are built around seven sacred teachings. Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Truth and Humility. Warrant Officer Quinn lives by these teachings and believes through humility we accept our place in life as equals.

We are so grateful that he has agreed to share his story with us and respect that he must go against his teachings in order to do so. Join us June 21st at 7:00pm to learn more about Aboriginal people and their contribution to the Canadian Military.

Thurs, 14 June, 2018: Artists in the Museum

Lecturer: Sarah Beck and Adad Hannah

Artists in the Museum: A behind the scenes tour of upcoming exhibitions at the Military Museums.

At the Founders’ Gallery in the Military Museums Adad Hannah is working with (reen)actors to recreate John Singer Sargent’s epic 1919 painting, Gassed.

On the museum grounds, Sarah Beck is installing Ode, a scale recreation of a tank using readily available materials found in mass produced household consumer goods. On June 14 both artists will be in the middle of their installations and will share their processes with the public in a rare glimpse behind the scenes into artistic practice.

Both artists will share their thoughts on the role of artists in a museum context and the motivations behind their current projects. Adad Hannah is known for beautiful, cleverly staged tableaux vivant videos that often revisit or re-enact famed paintings and artworks.

In 2009 The Raft of the Medusa (100 Mile House), he recreated a famous Géricault painting using BC high-school students and treeplanters. Sarah Beck uses large scale installation to engage as wide an audience as possible with humour and common signifiers. She uses humour not only as a point of entry, but as a way to highlight and challenge social norms.

Both projects will open to the public on June 22.

Friday, 1 June, 2018: Canadian Fighter Pilots in the Korean War (1950 to 1953)

Lecturer: Carl Mills

This year is the 65th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. The RCAF involvement in the Korean War was chronicled in The “Canadian airmen and airwomen in the Korean War” project. This included the history of not only the Canadian fighter pilots (RCAF, RCN, and RN), but also the RCAF Flight Nurses, the Army AOP pilots, the Army tactical air, the RCN, the Canadians in the RN, and many others.

The completed document that chronicled the Korean War has nine chapters with 450,000 words, 1,400 photo images, and 18 new commissioned artworks which have become part of the 50 Canadian-generated Korean War art collection (Army, Navy and Air Force). The Fighter Pilot’s chapter has 130 pages including 116 photo captions but no photos. The 426 Sqn. documentation was by author W/C Larry Motiuk (Ottawa).

The proposed power point presentation has a very short overview of all Canadians in the air war and then reviews, in more detail, the activities of the 24 Canadian fighter pilots. These pilots encountered the air war during combat against the MiG-15, over North Korea and flew with the USAF(F-86 Sabre), the USN (Panther), and the RN (Sea Fury).

There will be reviews of some specific combat events including MiG-15 aerial victories, head-on shooting events, eligibility for Korea, and rules of engagement.

CANADIAN AIRCRAFT IN THE KOREAN WAR

There will also be mention of the three Canadian aircraft involved in the Korean War including the deHavilland DHC-2 Beaver, the sixty RCAF F-86 Sabre Mk2 (with US engines) and 426 (Transport) Sqn. with the Canadair North Star.

This lecture is about the role of the Army Reserve during the 2013 Calgary floods. The presentation will focus on the preparation, training, readiness, deployment, operations and lessons of the 525 soldier "Task Force Silvertip" which the Brigade generated for the Operation Lentus 2013 to respond to the Calgary Floods

Mon, 30 April 2018: Battle of the Atlantic

Presented by: HMCS TECUMSEH

Join us for Navy Week with HMCS TECUMSEH as we commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic and its impact on the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) today.

The evening will include an informative presentation on the struggles of the longest and largest campaign of the Second World War. Additionally, the event will showcase a contrast of today’s RCN, lessons learned from past missions, and traditions still utilized today.

In support of Navy Week, HMCS TECUMSEH will be collecting non-perishable food donations for the Veteran’s Food Bank

Sun, 13 May, 2018: Reluctant Warriors: Canadian Conscripts and the Great War

Lecturer: Patrick Dennis

Reluctant Warriors is the first in-depth examination of the pivotal role played by Canadian conscripts in the final campaign of the Great War. During the "Last Hundred Days" in 1918 of the First World War, over 30 percent of conscripts who served in the Canadian Corps became casualties. Yet, they were generally considered slackers, shirkers, or malingerers for not having volunteered to fight of their own accord.

Reluctant Warriors sheds new light on the success of the Military Service Act and provides fresh evidence that conscripts were good soldiers who fought valiantly and made a crucial contribution to the success of the Canadian Corps in 1918. Reluctant Warriors will be of interest to scholars, students, and readers interested in the First World War in general, and conscription in particular. The author will have copies of his new book, Reluctant Warriors available for signing.

Wed, 18 April 2018: Calgary’s Hawker Hurricane

Lecturer: Richard de Boer

The Hawker Hurricane is one of the heroic aircraft that saved England during the Battle of Britain, and is now one of the rarest and most valuable vintage aircraft in the world. Calgary has its own Hawker Hurricane, finally under restoration after languishing in the city since 1961.

This particular aircraft was based in southern Alberta in 1942 before being transferred to the west coast to defend against possible Japanese invasion. While there, one of Canada’s highest scoring WWII aces cut his combat teeth on this very airplane.

In the spring of 1945 it was again pressed into service to defend against Japanese fire balloons. This presentation covers the story of Canadian wartime aircraft production which includes the world’s first woman aircraft designer, Elsie McGill, as well as the tale of the 2007 million dollar scandal that almost saw the Hawker Hurricane lost to Canada.

Richard de Boer has had a lifelong interest in aircraft and was one of the founding members of the Calgary Aerospace Museum. He is also the President of the Calgary chapter of the Canadian Aviation Historical Association.

Thurs, 5 April 2018: Scratching the Surface of Sacrifice

Lecturer: Ryan Mullens

Ryan Mullens is a leadership consultant with Alberta Health Services and a leadership lecturer at Mount Royal University. He has a Masters in Leadership from Royal Roads and a unique background of Military service, counselling, international aid work, and leadership.

In his lecture, Scratching the Surface of Sacrifice – Life and Leadership Lessons, Ryan will present his journey of remembrance and his views about theimpact remembrance can have on one’s leadership.

During the lecture, Ryan will share his experience working on the Vimy flute project. The Vimy flute is a one of a kind flute which was created for 100 Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

He will also discuss his new project for the up coming 75th anniversary of the Normandy invasion: ‘Faces of Normandy’ will be using Augmented reality (AR) and mobile phones to connect Canadians to our fallen soldiers in a creative and innovative way.

This undertaking will engage Canadians from all generation using technology, story, and emotion that will change and Canadians experience and learn about our honoured military history.

Finally, Ryan will close out his lecture with a general discussion about leadership in today’s workplace and how one can use the act of remembrance to enhance leadership skills and emotional intelligence.

Thurs, 22 March 2018: The German Offensive

Lecturer: Dr. Geoff Jackson

The 1918 Spring Offensive was a series of German battles along the Western Front that began on 21 March 1918, and led to the deepest advances made on that front since the opening battles of August 1914.

The Germans knew that this was there last and only chance of winning the war before the overwhelming resources of the United States could be fully deployed. This lecture will examine the series of victories the Germans achieved and how in the end this strategic offensive failed.

Dr. Geoff Jackson earned his PhD from the University of Calgary in 2013 focusing on the role Canada played in the larger British Expeditionary Force during the First World War. He currently teaches courses on War and Society at Mount Royal University.

Thurs, 8 March, 2018: International Women's Day

Keynote Speaker: Lieutenant Governor Lois Mitchell

Join us on March 8th, 2018 to celebrate International Women's Day with a panel of female lecturers from the Canadian Armed Forces, celebrating Women's achievements and acts of courage. Lieutenant Governor Lois Mitchell will be the keynote speaker for the evening event featuring retired and currently serving women from Canada’s Army and Navy.

Sergeant (Ret’d) Jacqueline Buckley will present on her book Eye of the Storm which chronicles her journey through PTSD after assisting the dental forensic team in identifying passengers of Swissair 111 (Sep 2, 1998).

Sergeant Jamie-Lynn Brown will present on the preconceived notions of the military contrasted by the realities of her experiences as a woman in the infantry, and the legacy she leaves for women today.

Captain Laurel Frizzel will present on her experiences as an Armoured Officer and the reasons why the Canadian Armed Forces is her career of choice.

Chief Petty Officer Rachel Dziver will discuss her extensive 32-year career in Canada’s Navy and her experiences in Halifax, Esquimalt, Alert, Calgary and Quebec.

Actor/director/producer, Anthony Sherwood brings his award-winning docudrama, Honour Before Glory to Calgary for the first time. The veteran artist of stage and television talks about how he was inspired to bring the story of his great-uncle to the screen in this dynamic historical documentary. Sherwood will reveal his unique family history and his personal relationship to this special project. The director and producer of Honour Before Glory will discuss the trials and tribulations in making the film and how the documentary has impacted communities across Canada and abroad.

Anthony Sherwood has appeared in over 75 films across North America. For two seasons he co-starred in the popular American television series, "Airwolf". For five successful seasons, he portrayed the character of Dillon Beck on the C.B.C. award-winning television drama, "Street Legal" and received a Gemini Award nomination for his performance. His ground-breaking role on this series was the first inter-racial relationship on prime-time television in an ongoing dramatic series in North America.

Sherwood is also an accomplished documentary filmmaker who has received numerous national and international awards. His production company has travelled around the world and specializes in producing documentary films focusing on social justice and human rights issues. The production company is also devoted to producing projects dealing with African-Canadian history and culture. Anthony Sherwood’s docudrama film, "Honour Before Glory" is the true story of Canada’s one and only all-black military battalion that was formed during World War I.

The film won a Gemini Award and a Hollywood Black Film Festival Award in Los Angeles. In 2016, Sherwood wrote, directed and produced the new stage play, "The Colour of Courage" in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the formation of Canada’s all-black battalion. His documentary "Music – A Family Tradition" won a Gemini Award and was nominated for an International Emmy Award.

Anthony Sherwood is a dedicated social activist who served as the former National Chairman of the March 21 Campaign for the Federal Government of Canada. March 21 is the International Day For The Elimination of Racism. He has received numerous awards for raising awareness to equality and social justice and is the recipient of the Martin Luther King Achievement Award and The Planet Africa Award.

This event is about 2.5 hrs in length, and will include the lecture, 15 min intermission and the Film, Honour before Glory (65 min). The cost for this event is $10.

Thurs, 8 Feb, 2018: The Importance of the Regimental System

Lecturer: Ian Hope

Colonel Hope has 37 years of military service, involving 18 years in leadership roles with airborne and mechanized infantry battalions. Operational experiences include the first Gulf War, multiple tours in the Balkans, Africa, and Afghanistan, and domestic operations. He commanded the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group (Task Force Orion) in combat in Kandahar in 2006, and the NATO/Afghan National Army Collective Training (Fielding) Centre in Kabul 2012-2013.

Foreign postings include service with 4 CMBG Germany, Canadian Army Exchange Officer to the Parachute Regiment (UK), and on different assignments as the Canadian Forces Liaison Officer to United States European Command (2001-2), Central Command (2006-7), and Africa Command (2013-15).

He is recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross, and the Meritorious Service Medal. A graduate of the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, Colonel Hope has also attended the UK All Arms Tactics Course, the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College, School of Advanced Military Studies, and U.S. Army War College. Academic service includes assignments on the faculty of the U.S. Army War College and associate professorship at the Royal Military College of Canada.

He has a Bachelor of History (Honours) from Acadia University, a Masters of Military Arts and Science, a Masters of Strategic Studies, and a PhD in History from Queen’s University. His published works include A Scientific Way of War (2015), Dancing with the Dushman (2008), Unity of Command in Afghanistan: A Forsaken Principle of War (2007), three monographs and a dozen articles and chapters on military history and strategic studies. Colonel Hope is now serving on faculty at the NATO Defense College in Rome.

Col Hope will be speaking on the importance of the Regimental System for instilling proper fighting spirit, in sustaining combat motivation during battle, and in mitigating the effects of post-combat stress injury.

Fall 2017

Tues, 6 Dec, 2017: The Halifax Explosion: Surviving the Impossible

Lecturer: J. Neven-Pugh

On the morning of December 6th, 1917, two ships collided in the Halifax Harbour causing an explosion that would forever change the capital city of Nova Scotia. Using research collected for an upcoming novel, local author J. Neven-Pugh will present the elements leading up to and following the disaster, recounting the experiences of those involved and the ways in which citizens banded together for survival, concluding with the legacy of the largest manmade explosion prior the atomic bomb. Please join us for this Centennial Commemoration on the 100th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion.

Thurs, 30 Nov, 2017: The Syrian Refugee Experience

Lecturers: Saima Jamal and Sam Namora

Saima Jamal and Sam Namora are co-founders of the Syrian Refugee Support Group. They will speak about Syria, the war and the resulting refugee crisis. Saima and Sam will also talk specifically about Calgarian’s response to Syrian newcomers and their own work with the Syrian Refugee Support Group.

On this evening, we will also celebrate the installation of a replica Syrian house within The Military Museums, a project by Syrian newcomers to Calgary that will be on display until the end of December.

This lecture is in conjunction with the exhibit Behind the Lines: An exhibition of Syrian Art, on display in the Founders Gallery.

Join us at The Military Museums for an in-depth lecture on the Enigma Machine with Peter Berg, Chair of Science at the University of Alberta. In this presentation you will learn about the inner workings of the Enigma Machine, Alan Turing and his team at Bletchley Park. Dr. Berg will also describe the ties to modern espionage and encryption technology and what James Bond has to do with all of this.

An Enigma Machine will also be on display, thanks to the Naval Museum of Alberta.

Thurs, 23 Nov, 2017: The Cinderella Campaign: First Canadian Army and the Battles for the Channel Ports

Lecturer: Mark Zuehlke, one of Canada’s foremost popular military historians

Mark Zuehlke's Canadian Battle Series is the most exhaustive recounting of the battles and campaigns fought by any nation during World War II to have been written by a single author.

Also attending this evening will be Ryan Mullens of the Vimy Flute Project. Ryan had two flutes made out of the wood from one of the Vimy oaks planted in France. He was with Mark Zuehlke on the Liberation Tours Vimy 100 pilgrimage in Spring 2017, and played his flute at various Canadian War cemeteries during the tour.

Thurs, 16 Nov 2017: After Spring: A film documentary on the Syrian Refugee Crisis

Lecturer: Saima Jamal, co-founder of the Calgary Syrian Refugee Support Group

After Spring is a feature documentary that focuses on the Syrian refugee crisis. With the Syrian conflict entering its sixth year, millions of people continue to be displaced. This is the story of what happens next. By following two refugee families in transition and aid workers fighting to keep the camp running, viewers will experience what it is like to live in Zaatari, the largest camp for Syrian refugees. With no end in sight for the conflict or this refugee crisis, everyone must decide if they can rebuild their lives in a place that was never meant to be permanent.

Mon, 6 Nov 2017: The Battle of Kapyong

Lecturer: Dr. David Bercuson

In April 1951 Chinese forces near the South Korean capital of Seoul launched a major counterattack south along several roads and river valleys aimed at out flanking the capital on the east and sweeping around it to the south to cut it off.

One of these attacks came south down the Puk’han and Kap’yong rivers. There the Chinese met a Commonwealth brigade consisting of Canadians, Australians, Americans and New Zealanders and was stopped cold by the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry on a hill near the village of Kap’yong. This is their story.

Thurs, 2 Nov 2017: Digging the Trenches: Archeology of the Western Front

Lecturer: Andy Robertshaw

Andy Robertshaw and David Kenyon authored the book: Digging the Trenches: The Archeology of the Western Front. In this lecture, Andrew Robertshaw will describe how modern archaeological research methods have transformed our view of the Great War. This includes techniques used to reveal the position of trenches, dugouts and other battlefield features and to rediscover what life on the Western Front was really like. He will also show how individual soldiers are identified using forensic analysis.

This lecture is sponsored by Valour Canada, the Archeology Society of Alberta, University of Calgary and The Military Museums Foundation.

In her lecture, Dr. Sloan will look at key strategic trends, the sorts of missions in which the Canadian army is likely to take part over the next few years, and the implications for the army at the tactical/operational level. Sponsored by the Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary.

Wed, 18 Oct 2017: The Leopard C2 Tank and ARV Taurus

Find out why the Leopard was Canada's Armoured vehicle of choice. This up close and personal tour of the Leopard C2 Tank and the ARV Taurus (Armoured Recovery Vehicle) will be the first of a series of tank lectures that The Military Museums will host this coming year. John will discuss the amazing design of these two armoured vehicles, their use in the Canadian Army, and the very special relationship between Canada and Germany.

Thurs, 28 Sept, 2017: Battle of Passchendaele

Lecturer: Dr. Geoff Jackson, Research Associate at the Center for Military and Strategic Studies and instructor of military history at Mount Royal University

Few battles would encapsulate the utter futility of the war better than what became known as the Battle of Passchendaele. By the time the British and Canadian forces finally captured Passchendaele village on 6th of November, the Allies had suffered over 271,000 casualties, and the German army over 217,000. The lecture will examine the reasons for the Third Battle of Ypres, the three months of warfare and the consequences of this operation.

Thurs, 14 Sept 2017: The Road from Colony to Ally and Towards a Canadian Way of War

Lecturer: Dr. John Scott Cowan, Principal Emeritus of the Royal Military College of Canada.

Canada entered the Great War as a supplier of manpower to the British Army, and ended the war with a seat at the negotiations for the Treaty of Versailles. The transformation from colony to ally was not accidental, and was hastened by subtle but intensive political and diplomatic efforts by the Government of Canada, but a key enabler was the remarkable performance of the Canadian Corps.

The victory at Hill 70 was the first major engagement after command of the Corps had passed to a Canadian, Lt Gen Sir Arthur Currie, and a game-changer in how the Corps was regarded. Underlying the success, in the maelstrom of technological change that was the Great War, cultural differences between the Canadians and the British, and the nature of the background of the Canadian officer corps made for a different mindset about both experimentation and casualty prevention, and, from 1917 onwards, led gradually to a Canadian way of war, elements of which persist to this day.

Winter 2017

TMM collaborated with the Yorkton Film Festival in early 2017 to host a number of evenings of documentary films and lectures on the First and Second World Wars at The Military Museums. The film schedule is listed below:

Thurs June 8 & Sat June 17, 2017

Jajo's Secret

Thurs June 22 & Sat June 24, 2017

Lecture: TBA (30 min)Films: Jajo's Secret (50 min)

Thurs, 18 May 2017: The Road Past Vimy: the Canadian Corps after Vimy Ridge

Lecturer: Dr. Geoff Jackson

Dr. Geoff Jackson is a research associate at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary. Dr. Jackson will discuss the changing role of the Canadian Corps in the aftermath of the Vimy Ridge assault. It will examine the battles of the Scarpe in May of 1917, Lieutenant Arthur Currie taking over command of the Canadian Corps and the Canadian attack on Hill 70 and Lens in August of 1917.

Saturday, 13 May 2017: Indigenous Contribution to First World War and their Weapons

Lecturer: Dr. James Dempsey

Dr. L. James Dempsey, a member of the Blood Indian Tribe of southern Alberta, and now Associate Professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, will speak on Indigenous Canadian contributions to the First World War and their weapons on May 13, 2017 at the Military Museums.

Monday, 24 April 2017: Multinational Force and Observers: Promoting Peace and Security in the Sinai

Lecturer: Major-General Denis Thompson

Major-General Denis Thompson is a Canadian Army officer who commanded the Multinational Force and Observers mission from 2014 to 2017. The MFO, headquartered in Rome, is an independent international organization, created by an agreement between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel, with peacekeeping responsibilities in the Sinai.

The mission of the MFO is to supervise the implementation of the security provisions of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of peace and employ best efforts to prevent any violation of its terms.

Thurs, 23 Feb 2017: H-Hour: Normandy 1944

Lecturers: Leslie Hossack and Lindsey Sharman

Please join artist Leslie Hossack and curator Lindsey Sharman for a tour of their latest exhibition H-Hour: Normandy 1944, and celebrate the launch of a new book that accompanies the exhibition.

The book contains over 70 photographs with contributions by:

David J. Bercuson, Professor, Department of History, University of Calgary

Joanne Stober, Historian, War and Visual Culture, Canadian War Museum

Lindsey V. Sharman, Curator, University of Calgary

Leslie Hossack, artist

Everyone in attendance will be gifted a free ebook edition of the Hour: Normandy 1944 publication.

Fall 2016

Thurs, 3 Nov, 2016: The Frontier Of Patriotism: Alberta And The First World War

Lecturers: Adriana A. Davies and Jeff Keshen

With the centenary of the First World War, communities across Canada arranged commemorations of the war experience to honour local servicemen who, through their triumphs and sacrifices, were presented as laying the foundation for a free and independent country.

Often overlooked are the triumphs and sacrifices of those who supported those soldiers, and the war effort in general, back at home. This presentation provides a detailed look at the Alberta homefront, and how the war affected the lives of people in the province.

France’s sacrifice in World War I – almost entirely incurred on French soil – was heart-breaking, with almost double the war dead suffered by her British Empire allies. For the first two years of the conflict, the French Army bore by far the greatest burden of fighting.

Even in November 1918, France fielded the Allies’ largest force. Ironically, this magnificent effort is only vaguely known to English speakers. In 1914, the disastrous Battle of the Frontiers was quickly followed by a dramatic stand at the very gates of Paris. Stalemate ensued in 1915, followed by the grim blood-letting at Verdun in 1916.

France’s war effort reached its nadir in 1917 when a crushing defeat at the Chemin des Dames sparked widespread mutiny among the war-weary poilus. Yet by the summer of 1918 the French Army had stopped the final German offensive, then at Soissons launched the first of the great Allied counter-attacks that would bring total victory only four months later. This is France’s story of duty, sacrifice and ultimately victory.

Lecturer: Lindsey Sharman, Art Curator for The Founders’ Gallery at The Military Museums

The Art of Command: Portraits and Posters from Canada’s Afghan Mission is a solo exhibition by Gertrude Kearns, Canada’s leading contemporary war artist.

The Art of Command is a reflection of the effects war has on those who call the shots on the front lines. It takes viewers—military and civilian alike—on an emotional journey, through the presentation of fearless, self-assured and ruthlessly honest portraits of military subjects. This talk will include a tour of the exhibition.

Captain Bill Quinn will discuss Canada’s participation in the multi-national counter terrorism task force CTF 150, focusing on maritime security operations across the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean. This task force has influenced events ashore by denying international terrorists the use of the seas as a venue for attack or for transporting personnel, weapons, or other illicit material.

Royal Canadian Navy Captain Bill Quinn recently returned from service in the Middle East region with Combined Task Force 150 and will discuss his experience, and Canada’s contribution to the operation.

Thurs, 29 Sept, 2016: Play Hard, Fight Hard: Sport And The Canadian Military

Lecturer: TMM Curator Rory Cory, Janene Holman, MA

Rory Cory and Janene Holman takes audiences in for a detailed look at the ground breaking exhibit. Play Hard, Fight Hard explores the relationship between sports and military service, and how the concepts of leadership, teamwork, fitness, and tactical planning are shared between the two worlds. This talk will include a guided tour of the exhibition.

Winter 2016

Leslie Reid is a Canadian artist who recently participated in the Canadian Forces Artists Program and has travelled throughout Northern Canada and the arctic. In this presentation she will discuss her work, which uses historic and contemporary photography, painting, and video to show past and present relationships between northern populations, northern landscapes, and government and military activities.

Lock, Stock, and Icebergs: A History of Canada’s Arctic Maritime Sovereignty If the waters of the Arctic Archipelago are as Canadian as the Rideau Canal, why then did it take successive governments over a century to claim the waters as wholly Canadian?

Lock, Stock, and Icebergs recounts the events, pressures, and behind-the-scenes negotiations that shaped Canada’s legal claim to the waters of Arctic Archipelago.

Thurs, 31 March, 2016: The Enigma Story

Lecturer: Dr. Peter Berg, University of Alberta

The Enigma Story: Technology, Turing, Trondheim, Toronto. Discover the remarkable story of the Enigma machine, a device used by the German military during WWII to encrypt their military communications.

Dr. Peter Berg, Chair of Science at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus, will explain the machine’s inner workings, the code-breaking efforts of Alan Turing and his team, the role that Canadians and Norwegians played, and the ties to modern espionage and encryption technology. The unique highlight of the evening will be the display of an original Enigma machine, one of only two devices in Canada.

Thurs, 24 March, 2016: Ultra: The Allied Secret Weapon

Lecturer: Maria Robson

Maria Robson presents a broad overview of Ultra - what it was, and why it was a watershed moment in the history of Intel. This presentation will explore Ultra’s role in World War II, the Bletchley Park codebreakers, the Enigma code, and how British and American intel guarded the Ultra secret.

Thurs, 17 March, 2016: Camp X: Secret Agent School

Film: Camp X: Secret Agent School (Runtime 60 minutes)

During the Second World War, the British, Canadian and American governments established a secret agent training facility outside of Toronto. Known as ‘Camp X,’ the school produced some of the world’s first modern spies.

This film tells the stories of some of the individuals trained at the camp, and examines their crucial contributions to the war effort.

Thurs, 10 March, 2016: The Maple Leaf And The Tulip

Lecturer: Rory Cory, Senior Curator at The Military Museums

Rory Cory presents a photo essay about Holland and the Canadians during the Second World War.

Photographs, artifacts, and interviews portray life under occupation, Dutch resistance, liberation, and the unique relationships that formed between the two countries and their people in the following years.

Thurs, 3 March, 2016: Film, War Story: Bomber command

The Thursday 3 March event is the following film presentation, War Story: Bomber Command

This film examines the heavy toll of the bombing missions carried out over Germany by British and Canadian aircrews during the Second World War.

Thurs, 25 February, 2016: (Film) The Liberation Of Holland

Film Screening with introduction by Irene Bakker, the Honourary Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Calgary.

This acclaimed CBC documentary mixes re-enactments and archival footage to provide an account of events that led to Holland’s liberation from German occupation.

Thurs, 18 Feb, 2016: (Lecture) 17 Days Of Hades

Historian and author Norman Leach delves deeper into what happened at the Second Battle of Ypres. This presentation will explore the role of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the famous Great War battle.

Please note that while this presentation expands on topics covered in the film screening, it is still a stand-alone event. Attendance to the film screening is not a requirement.

Thurs, 11 Feb, 2016: (Films) The Front Lines & The Trenches

Film Screenings with introduction by Ryan Goldsworthy

The story of the Great War is the recovered letters and war diaries of five individuals who experiences it. These entries are narrated over photographs and historical footage to create a personal and human account of war. The film Front Lines is 33 minutes, and The Trenches is 6 minutes in length.

Thurs, 4 Feb, 2016: Canadian Sacrifice And Its Meaning In The Great War

Lecturer: Ryan Goldsworthy

Historian Ryan Goldsworthy provides an analysis of how Canadians on the home front reacted to massive unexpected casualty rates in the later years of the war, and how they attempted to make sense of a young nation's sacrifice.

Thurs, 28 Jan, 2016: (Film) 17 Days Of Hades

Film Screening with introduction by Norman Leach

A grim and compelling look at Canada's role in the Second Battle of Ypres. This 45 minute film combines footage and interviews to convey the brutality of trench warfare, and the first use of chlorine gas.

Fall 2015

Sat, 28 Nov, 2015: One-Two-Three: The Story Of The 123rd Overseas Battalion, Royal Grenadiers, CEF

Lecturer: Dan Mowat

Author Dan Mowat presents a chronicle of an infantry battalion that was raised in 1915, and trained for mobilization to France. 123 Battalion served as combat pioneers and engineers through all of the major Canadian battles of the First World War.

Mowat's 350 page book covers the officers and men who served in the Battalion and what they did to contribute to winning the war.

On 4 December, 2014, Canada took command of the multi-national counter terrorism task force CTF 150. Participating in maritime security operations across the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean, this task force influenced events ashore by denying international terrorists the use of the seas as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons, or other illicit material.

In this presentation, Commodore Brian Santarpia will discuss his role commanding CTF 150.

Monday, 9 Nov 2015: Book Launch: Our Finest Hour

Lecturer: David Bercuson

With his new book, Dr. David Bercuson examines the formulation and execution of Canada's Second World War strategy.

Our Finest Hour examines how a nation unprepared for war in 1939 succeeded to increase production on the home front, and field an invasion force that would go on to play a crucial role in the Allied victory.

Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing after the presentation. Doors open: 6PM Lecture: 7PM

Thurs, 5 Nov 2015: Barracks To Banks: Canadian Silk Screens For War And Peace

Lecturer: Ian Sigvaldason

Visiting writer Ian Sigvaldason will discuss the exhibition Barracks to Banks: Canadian Silkscreens for War and Peace. This lecture and exhibition tour will focus on how the silkscreens provided a morale boost to Canada's WWII soldiers.

Starting in 1942, vibrant landscape silkscreens by A.J. Casson, Emily Carr, Charles Comfort, Lawren Harris, and 50 others were sent to soldiers across the country and around the world. After the war, these prints became extremely popular within Canada and adorned the walls of banks, schools, and other public buildings. Barracks to Banks shows the massive support Canada's best-known artists offered to their troops and the vital role that support played in the formation of Canadian national identity.

The exhibition runs until January 17th, 2016.

Saturday, 17 Oct 2015: The Walking Dead: Stories Of The Supernatural And Uncanny Among Canada's Great War Soldiers

Lecturer: Tim Cook

TMM welcomes military historian and writer Tim Cook for this special Saturday presentation of the TMM Lecture Series.

Ghosts, spectral beings, and premonitions of death - noted author and historian Tim Cook examines the supernatural stories and legends that emerged during the Great War. This talk will be followed by a book signing.

Thurs, 8 Oct 2015: Prelude To Passchendaele

Lecturer: Norman Leach

Norman Leach will discuss the formative events that set the stage for the carnage that became the Battle of Passchendaele.

Thurs, 24 Sept 2015: The Last Hundred Days

Lecturer: Ryan Goldsworthy

Ryan Goldsworthy is a specialist on the hundred days offensive, which marked the final days of the First World War. This talk will cover the role of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the late summer and fall of 1918.

Winter 2015

Thurs, 21 May 2015: The Maple Leaf and the Tulip

Lecturer: Rory Cory, Senior Curator at The Military Museums

Rory Cory discusses The Maple Leaf and the Tulip, and exhibition about Holland and the Canadians during the Second World War

Photographs, artifacts, and interviews portray life under occupation, Dutch resistance, liberation, and the unique relationships that formed between the two countries and their people in the following years.

Thurs, 7 May 2015: Dutch War Brides

Lecturer: Beverley Tosh

Trees Heeft een Canadees, (Teresa has a Canadian) is a popular song in the Netherlands about Dutch women who fell in love with Canadian soldiers during the Second World War. In Dutch War Brides, artist Beverley Tosh shares these women`s stories, their life during the occupation, their weddings in Holland, and their one-way passages to Canada.

Thurs, 23 April 2015: Did Ultra Win the Second World War?

Lecturer: Dr. John Ferris, University of Calgary Department of History

In this lecture, Did Ultra Win the Second World War?, Dr. John Ferris examines how Alan Turing and Ultra shaped the outcome of the Second World War.

Bletchley Park in the Second World War was a hub for cryptology. It was there that Alan Turing developed a machine to use against the premiere encryption device of the time, Enigma. Ferris will expand on Turing’s contribution to the war effort, and how it affected the course of the war.

Thurs, 9 April 2015: Bracing for Armageddon: How Canadians Viewed the Great War's Outbreak

Lecturer: David Gallant, Doctoral Candidate with the University of Calgary Department of History.

Canadians in 1914 were often portrayed as naïve – unaware of the brutal realities of industrialized warfare. Gallant’s research however, tells a different story. His examination of how media reacted to the impending conflict reveals a population that largely understood that the war would be long, costly, and catastrophic. Many even believed that a general European war in the modern industrial age constituted "Armageddon."

Wednesday, 1 April 2015: Into the Unknown

Lecturer: Patrick Brennan, Into the Unknown: Canada and the Great War, 1914-1915.

Into the Unknown is part of the New Perspectives on the World Wars series sponsoned by the UofC History Graduate Students Union. Note: This lecture is on a Wednesday.

Thurs, 26 March 2015: Burnt Generation: Curators Talk

Lecturer: Lindsey Sharman, Art Curator for The Founders' Gallery at TMM presents a curator's talk on the currently running exhibition Burnt Generation.

Thurs, 12 March 2015: Sam Hughes

Lecturer: Pat Brennan with the University of Calgary presents a revisionist perspective on the life and career of Sam Hughes, Canada’s controversial Minister of Militia and Defense during the First World War.

Wed, 4 March 2015: Dispatches from the Front: Matthew Halton, Canada’s Voice at War: by David Halton

Lecture: Dispatches from the Front, by David Halton - As senior war correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during the Second World War, Matthew Halton reported from the front lines in Italy and Northwest Europe and became “the voice of Canada at war.” His gripping, passionate broadcasts chronicled the victories and losses of Canadian soldiers and made him a national icon.

In this special presentation of the TMM Lecture Series, Matthew's son David Halton examines his father’s often tumultuous personal life through excerpts from his recently published book, "Dispatches from the Front: Canada's Voice at War."

This event is a reading and book signing by the author.

Thurs, 26 February 2015: Liberation of the Netherlands: From Memory to Remembrance

Lecture: 70 Years of Liberation of the Netherlands: From Memory to Remembrance: Seventy years ago Canadian troops played a pivotal role in liberating the Netherlands. This special lecture presentation is part of a nation-wide series in which Canadian and Dutch historians take us back to the Canadian military campaign that led to the capitulation in Wageningen.

Featured speakers will include Dr. David Bercuson (Moderator), Mark Zuehlke, Canadian Military Historian and Dr. Erwin van Loo, Dutch Historian.

Thurs, 12 February 2015: Veterans Street Voice

Lecture: Veterans Street Voice: Patricia Dribnenki with the Outreach Nurse Homelessness Project will discuss her work with Calgary’s homeless veteran community. Patricia recently published 'Veterans Street Voice,' a magazine that explores the experiences of veterans living on the streets of Calgary.

Friday, November 28 2014: Material Objects in Digital Narratives

Travis Lutley will discuss Glenbow's twitter campaign commemorating the First World War, raising issues of the relevance of material culture in a digital world.

Thursday, November 20 2014: Life in the Trenches

Lecture: Life in the Trenches – Lecturer Barry Elve draws from his private collection of artefacts for an examination of trench life. This presentation will have a special focus on equipment used by Canadians in the First World War.

This talk is organized in conjunction with the Founders' Gallery exhibition Wild Rose Overseas: Albertans in the Great War which runs until 15 December, 2014.

Thursday, November 6 2014: Twitter and Facebook on The Modern Battlefield:

Lecture: How Twitter and Facebook Change The Modern Battlefield – Kourtney Halverson will be in conversation with VICE journalist Ben Makuch to further delve into issues surrounding the role of social media in modern conflict.

This talk is organized in conjunction with the exhibition #euromaidanYYC currently running in the Founders' Gallery at TMM. Photographer and filmmaker Tomas Rafa shows the ongoing Ukrainian unrest that originated with the help of social media in Kiev's Maidan Square.

Presented by Kourtney Halverson, University of Calgary Student and Ben Makuch, Journalist with VICE Magazine.

Thursday, October 30 2014: Music of the Great War

Lecture: Music of the Great War – TMM and Calgary Opera present a lively presentation about society, art and cultural influences on music during the First World War. The talk will focus on jazz/ragtime, popular music of the Great War era, as well as songs that were popular among the soldiers of the time.

Thursday, October 23 2014: Aboriginal Involvement – James Dempsey

Lecture: Aboriginal Involvement – Despite access to exemption status, an estimated 3,500 aboriginal people served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during WWI. James Dempsey (University of Alberta) examines the reasons for enlistment, the government’s response, and the post-war experiences of returning veterans.

Thursday, October 16 2014: Ukrainian Internment – Linda Gerhardt

Lecture: Ukrainian Internment – Linda Gerhardt speaks about a little known dark period in Canadian history when 4000 Ukrainians had their property confiscated and were forced to work in internment camps across the nation, four of which were in the Canadian Rockies.

Thursday, October 9 2014: Conscription Crisis – Patrick Brennan

Lecture: Conscription Crisis – Patrick Brennan (U of C) speaks about the great unrest, violence and bloodshed in French Canada caused by the issue of military service. The issue was so volatile that Wilfrid Laurier, then leader of the opposition, believed conscription would tear the country apart.

Thursday, October 2 2014: Crisis of Conscience - Amy Shaw

Lecture: Crisis of Conscience: Conscientious Objection in Canada during the First World War – Guest speaker Amy Shaw (University of Lethbridge) explores WWI as an early example of the recognition of the rights of ethnic and religious groups, which would later become an important part of Canada’s rights and statutes legislation.

Thursday, 18 September 2014: Albertans in the Great War - Rory Cory

Lecture: Albertans in the Great War Photo essay by TMM Curator Rory Cory discusses Alberta's participation in the First World War, from training, to fighting, to demobilization, and homecoming.

Thursday, 11 September 2014: Re-monumentalizing 9/11 - Dick Averns

Lecture: World Trade Centre Architectural Artefacts: Where Are They Now? A Lecture Presentation by Dick Averns. 7pm.

Monday, 25 August 2014: The Great Escape: A Canadian Story - Ted Barris

A reading and book signing by author and journalist Ted Barris. Monday, 25 August 2014 7pm

Lecture: On the night of March 24, 1944, eighty Commonwealth airmen crawled through a 336-foot-long tunnel and slipped into the dark pine forest beyond the wire of Stalag Luft III, a German POW compound near Sagan, Poland. The event became known as “The Great Escape,” an intricate breakout more than a year in the making, involving as many as 2,000 POWs working with extraordinary co-ordination, intelligence, and daring.

Yet within a few days, all but three of the escapees were recaptured. Subsequently, on orders from Adolf Hitler, fifty were murdered, cremated, and buried in a remote corner of the prison camp. For the first time, The Great Escape: A Canadian Story tells one of the most astonishing episodes in the Second World War as researched through Interviews, lost transcripts, diaries and memoirs.

Winter 2014

Lecture: 100 Years of Naval Camouflage. “Haze Grey and Underway” is often used to reference modern warships at sea. Yet, for almost as long as they have been painted in that distinctively monotonous medium-grey colour, they have also been coated in a variety of other schemes – different not just in colour, but in pattern as well.

From the Cubist-inspired “dazzle” schemes of the First World War to Lord Mountbatten’s purple-mauve colours in the Second World War, naval camouflage has long attempted to resolve the fundamental conundrum facing naval officers: how does one reduce the observability of 250-metre-long behemoths on an effectively flat terrain?

This lecture traces the history of visual concealment and deception at sea from the age of dreadnoughts to the present day, where electronic sensors would seem to suggest the demise of elaborate camouflage patterns.

This lecture concludes with a guided tour of “(re)Constructed Warships: Technical Speculations of Grand Naval Monuments,” an exhibit in the Founders' Gallery featuring ship models by Chris Flodberg and Richard Edwards, putting them within the lecture’s context.

Timothy Choi is a Doctoral student at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, University of Calgary.

Thurs, 22 May 2014: Bonfire: The Life of John McCrae - Susan Raby-Dunne

Lecture: Bonfire: The Life of John McCrae:

Historian and author Susan Raby-Dunne provides a unique perspective on the life and career of famous First World War soldier John McCrae, author of "In Flanders Fields".

Lecture: The Silk Road to Peace: The Persian Gardens, Past, Present, and Future:

Ancient history and current events intersect in this panel presentation about the silk road, and the ancient Persian gardens that can be found along its path.

These sites were oases, serving as places of refuge to those traveling along the dangerous trade routes from Istanbul to China. Many of these sites are still in existence today across the middle east.

University of Calgary researchers explore the history and architecture of the Persian Gardens and the international redevelopment project that aims to restore these sites and turn them into ecologically sustainable centres for peace, international cooperation and cultural exchange.

Thurs, 24 Apr 2014: Perseverance: the Canadian Sea King Helicopter - John Orr

Lecture: Perseverance Fifty Years of the Canadian Sea King Helicopter

The CH-124 Sea King has been a mainstay in the Royal Canadian Navy since 1963. Originally designed to counter the advent of nuclear submarines, this utility Helicopter remains in active service today, increasing the range and combat effectiveness of Canada's destroyer fleet.

Colonel John Orr, an experienced Sea King pilot, has spent three years researching the helicopter's history. On April 24th, he will discuss it's 50 years of service in the Canadian Forces.

Thurs, 27 Mar 2014: Cultures, Communities, and Conflict: Histories of Canadian Universities at War - Lisa Panayotidis and Paul Stortz

Lecture: Cultures, Communities, and Conflict: Histories of Canadian Universities at War - Provocative, cutting-edge perspectives on the history of English-Canadian universities and war in the Twentieth century.This lecture explores how universities contributed not only to war efforts, but to the cultural development of the Canadian nation during its most difficult times.

Lecture: Peace Parks and Diplomacy Across the world Peace Parks are used as diplomatic tools, resolving territory disputes and acting as buffer zones between nations. In this lecture Conservationist Peter Poole examines the ways in which this Alberta-born innovation has been applied to prevent conflict.

Lecture: Curator Lindsey Sharman discusses the latest exhibition in The Founder's Gallery. Forging A Nation: Canada Goes to War illustrates the remarkable events of WWI and the following 100 years of conflict, portraying the experiences of ordinary Canadians who endured the extraordinary.

Thurs, 13 Feb 2014: The Diaries of Doc Alexander - Rob Alexander

Lecture: Journalist Rob Alexander discovered a gripping first hand account of the Dieppe Raid and the invasion of Italy in the journal of his late Grandfather. In this lecture he will discuss the journal, and his ongoing project to preserve the history within.

Thurs, 30 Jan 2014: The outbreak of the First World war - Dr. John Ferris

Lecture: Join Historian Dr. John Ferris, an expert on war and diplomacy in the 20th century, as he discusses the outbreak of the First World War and the causes that led up to it.

On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, setting in motion a string of events that would lead to one of the deadliest conflicts of the modern era. How did the assassination of an Austrian Archduke set the stage for war?

Dr. Ferris will examine the events that followed Ferdinand's assassination, and through analysis of the diplomatic manoeuvering among Europe's key powers, he will make the case that the war was preventable.

Fall 2013

29 Aug 2013: Life on the Battlefields: Pulling artifacts out of Ypres - Charlotte Descamps

Lecture: On 29 August, 2013, The Military Museums is proud to host Belgian-born historian Charlotte Descamps. Having lived on the Ypres Salient for most of her life, Descamps draws on her personal experience as well as her research to discuss life on the battlefields.

This lecture explores the excavation of unexploded ordinance on the battlefield (known as the “Iron Harvest”), and the process of identification of recently discovered human remains through the use of DNA research. Descamps will also describe the legacy of the war, including Belgium’s highly-experienced bomb disposal squad, the realities of living in proximity to dangerous hidden ordinance, and the wealth of historical information being pulled out the ground today.

19 Sep 2013: Warships of the Bay of Quinte - Roger Litwiller

Lecture: In this lecture, Naval Historian Roger Litwiller tells the story of six Canadian warships. Drawing from historical records, crew interviews, letters, diaries, and newspaper articles, Litwiller pieces together the successes and the mistakes of these fighting vessels, and discusses their roles in Canadian history.

26 Sep 2013: Eleven Women Facing War - Lindsey V. Sharman

Lecture: In 2001, photographer Nick Danziger created eleven portraits of women and girls affected by the conflicts around the world. Then, in 2008, he set out to find each of these women and document how their lives remain affected by war.

This photographic exhibition features the stories of these women who were caught up in conflicts in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Sierra Leone, and the Middle East.

Join us as Exhibition Curator Lindsey V. Sharman discusses the eleven women featured in the exhibition, and the ways in which conflict altered the course of their lives forever.

Lecture: TMM Curator Rory Cory details the major battles that Canadians were involved in during the war in their context as a United Nations mission and as part of the Cold War, with stories and unique photographs of major Canadian units that served there.

10 Oct 2013: Political and Military History of the Korean War - Dr. David J. Bercuson

Lecture: David J. Bercuson, a Canadian Military and Political historian at the University of Calgary, will provide an overview of the conflict from a Canadian perspective: the causes that led up to it, the key moments, and it's aftermath.

Dr. Bercuson is the Director of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies (CMSS) at the U of C.

24 Oct 2013: Canada's Forgotten War - Norman Leach

Lecture: Military historian Norman Leach will discuss the history of Canada's contribution to the Korean War.

Saturday, 26 Oct 2013: The Great Escape - Ted Barris

Lecture: Join us for a reading and book signing by Ted Barris of his latest book, "The Great Escape, A Canadian Story".

Afghan Mission film festival: 15-16 Nov, 2013

The Military Museums Foundation and our supporters are proud to host the Afghan Mission Film Festival in support of the legacy project, Afghanistan: A Soldier's Story. This project is the effort of serving and retired Canadian Forces volunteers working to preserve the legacy of the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan.

Winter 2013

Lecture: Calgary filmmaker and retired Colonel Mike Vernon will team up with CWO Emmet Kelly to assess the Canadian Forces mentoring mission in Sierra Leone, and the mission's first major test: intervention in Somalia.

Lecture: Curator of Art Lindsey Sharman will give a talk on The Founders' Gallery's latest exhibition, Walls Between People. Sharman will focus on political graffiti covering these walls, including works by UK street artist Banksy.

21 Mar 2013: In the Shadows of Walls - Marcello Di Cinto

Lecture: Calgary writer Marcello Di Cinto, author of Walls: Travels Along the Barricades (2012), will take visitors through The Founders' Gallery exhibit, sharing the personal stories of the people he met who live in the shadows of the walls.

4 Apr 2013: Korea: The Other War - Norman Leach

Lecture: This year, 2013 marks the 60th Anniversary of the armistice that brought the Korean War to a ceasefire. Join Norman Leach as he discusses the people, politics, and battles on land, sea and air of the Korean War. Through video and interactive storytelling Norman brings to life the history of those who sacrificed to bring peace and freedom to South Korea.

18 Apr 2013: Deception on D-Day - Dr. John Ferris

Lecture: The Military Museums is proud to host Dr. John Ferris and his lecture Deception on D-Day as part of the ongoing Winter Lecture Series. Dr. Ferris will assess Allied efforts to mislead the Nazis through Operation Fortitude. He will examine Allied and German planning for the invasion of France, and explore the question: How did deception affect the outcome of the battle at Normandy?

Lecture: In this lecture, Col (ret.d) Don Matthews will discuss the lessons that can be learned from Canada’s involvement in the Gulf War that would apply to the new squadron of fighter planes. From the perspective of a fighter pilot, he will explore the question: what capabilities should a new fighter have?

16 May 2013: Seeing Soldiering - Althea Thauberger

Lecture: According to Vancouver artist Althea Thauberger, the serving men and women who appear in her latest exhibition are not just subjects; they are also collaborators.

In this upcoming exhibition in The Founder's Gallery, Seeing Soldiering, Thauberger invited the individuals depicted in her works to provide their own perspectives on what it means to serve in the military. What results is a multitude of perspectives on the interior and exterior life of a soldier, and the universal struggle between individual and group identity.

Pieces in the exhibition include The Art of Seeing Without Being Seen, a photomural that depicts Canadian soldiers as they undergo a training exercise in a mock Afghan village; and Kandahar International Airport, a photomural highlighting female soldiers in Afghanistan.

6 June 2013: Arctic Ops: The Royal Canadian Navy in the Northern Ocean - Commander Douglas Campbell, CD

Lecture: Canadian Forces Commander Douglas Campbell will provide his account of Operation NANOOK, and the involvement of Canada’s elite special forces squad Joint Task Force 2. From his perspective as the Commanding Officer of HMCS St. John's, Campbell will also address the overall challenges of Navy operations in the Arctic.

Campbell grew up in various cities in Alberta, Germany, and Ontario before attending Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario. He has a degree in English Literature and History.

Fall 2012

13 Sept 2012: Oil, Blood, and Water - Rob Alexander

Lecture: Searching for the story of the grandfather he never met, Rob Alexander began reading his grandfather’s Second World War journals as a young man.

Dr. Laurence Guy Alexander, known as Doc Alexander to most, lived and breathed in the world of medical care. The medical officer for the 14th Canadian Army Tank Battalion, he survived the Dieppe Raid and after the war he was the family doctor for many of the regiment’s members. Rob will share a piece of his family history with his lecture Oil, Blood, and Water.

Lecture: Today, the home front is a minority community comprised of people with intimate connections to the military. Embedded on the Home Front: Where Military and Civilian Lives Converge is a brand new anthology of personal essays from writers with experiences on the home front.

Several contributors will give short readings from their essays, which explore concepts of duty, faith, fate, remembrance, and family. This FREE lecture is a series of readings from the anthology, followed by a moderated discussion.

11 Oct 2012: Shaping Canada: The War of 1812 - Norman Leach

Lecture: The War of 1812 defined who Canadians were and would become. By looking at the lives of the major players in the war, Brock, Secord, Tecumseh, and Fitzgibbon, the lecture will show how Canadians see themselves and how these characters shaped us as a people. Using multimedia and storytelling the lecture will bring the War of 1812 to life.

18 Oct 2012: Unfinished Business: What does Canada's most famous First World War painting tell us about conflict, art, and memory? - Dr. Laura Brandon

Lecture: Canada’s war art collection acts as a nationally popular ‘site of memory’ in formulating Canadians’ understanding of their participation in the First World War. A year ago, what is arguably the conflict’s most important Canadian art commission was presented in public for the first time.

Commissioned in 1917 as the centrepiece for a war memorial art gallery in Ottawa that was never built, celebrated British artist Augustus John’s massive mural was unfinished when he died in 1961. The work then disappeared into private hands for 40 years until it was acquired by the Canadian War Museum in 2011. What it depicts challenges some current interpretations of the war and raises questions about the intersection of war, art, and memory. This lecture is FREE.

25 Oct 2012: A Brush With war: Military Art from Korea to Afghanistan - Gertrude Kearns

Lecture: Artwork by Gertrude Kearns is featured in The Founders’ Gallery’s newest exhibit A Brush With War: Military Art From Korea to Afghanistan. Drawing from two decades of experience as a war artist, she will discuss her paintings and diverse responses to military and war art.

22 Nov 2012: Alan Turing and Enigma - Dr. John Ferris

Lecture: The dramatic story behind of one the key cryptographers who helped to break the Enigma code during the Second World War.

Lecture: The History Graduate Students' Union is pleased to announce, "1942: Seventy Years On", the third annual public lecture in our New Perspectives on the Second World War series. This year's lecture commemorates the Canadian raid on Dieppe, and the German Army’s attempts to cross the Caucasus in the fall of 1942. This is a free lecture.

Winter 2012

10 May 2012: Vimy Ridge Pilgrimage - Norm Christie

Lecture: Norm Christie is the acclaimed television host of several History Channel Documentary series including: King & Empire, King & Country, Lost Battlefields, Striking Back, In Korea and Battlefield Mysteries. In 1936, Canadian veterans and their families traveled back to France to a place where history was made in April 1917. The victory at Vimy was widely viewed as Canada's coming of age as a nation. This lecture is about that great Pilgrimage, the unveiling of the incredible Vimy Memorial, and the ephemera that survives to this day. Cocktails 6:30 PM Lecture 7:30 PM

26 April 2012: Ring of Fire: Canadians in the Pacific in the Second World War - Rory Cory

Lecture: Unsung heroes of the Canadian navy, army, and air force helped turn the tide against determined Japanese foes in the Second World War. Tales of sacrifice, heroism, victory and defeat are explored in stories of Canada’s war in the Pacific.

Rory Cory is the Senior Curator and director of collections at The Military Museums. A highlight tour of the current exhibition in The Founders’ Gallery will follow his lecture. This photo essay Includes never-before-seen colour photographs.

19 April 2012: Military Bridges - Derek Flippance

Lecture: W.O. (retd.) Derek Flippance will deliver one of three illustrated talks: The Mulberry quays, The Canadians at the Rapido Crossing, or Bridges That Work and Bridges That Don't. Mr. Flippance has 24 years of experience as a Royal Engineer.

12 April 2012: Canadians aboard the Titanic - Norman Leach

Lecture: One hundred years ago the White Star Line ship the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic killing 1,490 people. More than 300 Canadians were aboard that fateful night. This is the story of one of them. Major Arthur Peuchen of the Queen’s Own Rifles would be a hero at the sinking, yet to be destroyed by his experience. As a product of Victorian and Edwardian society, Peuchen would feel the full weight of surviving the sinking when so many others lost their lives.

Norman Leach is a historian, award winning freelance writer, and professional speaker.

Tues-27 March 2012: Navajo Code Talkers - Zonnie Gorman

Lecture: The Navajo Code Talkers helped to contribute to military victory in the Pacific by developing a cypher code in their native language that baffled the Japanese forces. Zonnie Gorman will share the story of her father Carl Gorman, one of the original Navajo Code Talkers.Thank you to everyone for your interest in this important presentation. Lecture begins at 7pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.

Fall 2011

24 Nov 2011: Breakout from Juno - Mark Zuehlke

Lecture: Breakout from Juno is a story of uncommon heroism, endurance and sacrifice by Canada's World War II volunteer army and pays tribute to Canada's veterans at a time when many Canadians, young and old, are actively engaged in acts of remembrance.

27 Oct 2011: Evidence - David Garneau

Lecture: Artist and writer David Garneau will discuss his painting Evidence, a haunting depiction of the autopsy photo of Neal Stonechild, a young First Nations boy of 17 who froze to death in a field outside of Saskatoon.

The lecture is part of the Diabolique exhibition, a provocative visual arts display that explores themes surrounding human conflict. The Military Museums (TMM) is the final stop for this travelling contemporary art show, which is on loan from the Dunlop Art Gallery in Regina.

13 Oct 2011: Family Portraits by a Civilian Soldier - Scott Waters

Lecture: Family portraits by a civilian soldier: This lecture will explore the distance between the soldier and civilian life. Scott Waters is one of 22 artists in Diabolique, the current exhibit in The Founders' Gallery. Scott's experience as a soldier, his civilian life, and his artistic ability lend to his contributions to Diabolique and the lecture series.

Winter 2011

5 May 2011: Preserving Family History - Jeremy Klaszus

Lecture: Preserving Family History: Jeremy will share stories from his boyhood and of his grandfather, Ernst, who grew up in Germany under the Nazis. His grandfathers recollections led Jeremy to write a book based on his stories. The book, "Mr. Tree" is the award winning account of that journey.

27 Jan 2011: Canadian Forces Artists Program - Dick Averns

Lecture: Canadian Forces Artists Program: New artwork by Dick Averns inspired from his deployment to the Middle East with Canadian Peacekeeping troops. War Art Now presents new artwork by Dick Averns from his deployment to the Middle East with Canadian peacekeeping troops. See photographs, sculpture, video and text portrayals of Averns' experiences in the 2008-2009 Canadian Forces Artists Program. See images from Sinai, Egypt, Palestinian West Bank and Israel present challenging visions and portrayals of daily life.

Fall 2010

24 Nov 2010: Under Vimy Ridge - Dr. Jean Hutchinson

Lecture: Under Vimy Ridge: A geological exploration of First World War Excavation Stability (Note: Wednesday lecture)

The Vimy Ridge site, north of Arras, France, commemorates the tremendous achievement of Canadian and Allied troops during the offensive of April, 1917. The site is one of the few places left in France where the terrain has been largely unchanged since the end of the First World War, with the result that the configuration of trenches, military mining craters and other war-time excavations can be observed, in situ. The beautiful and moving monument was successfully restored and rededicated in 2007, with no appreciable influence of the ground conditions on the site activities.

18 Nov 2010: Courage under Canvas: Mary Hays

Lecture: Courage under Canvas: Story of Nursing Sister Margaret Brown.

Storyteller, Mary Hays will share the human story of World War II told from the perspective of Nursing Sister, Margaret Brown. Lieutenant Brown served as a surgical nurse with No. 5 Canadian Casualty Station in Sicily and Italy. Her story will take you back in time when she cared for two of our ‘boys’ who were injured serving with the Calgary Tanks.

4 Nov 2010: Walking with Heroes - Karen Koonar

Lecture: Walking with Heroes, personal journeys through the battlefields of the Italian Campaign.

Each year, accompanied by Italian friends, a group of historians and veterans walk the battlefields of Ortona, The Gustav Line, The Hitler Line and the approach to Rome, the Gothic Line, and the Rivers. Since 2006, Karen Koonar has accompanied Canadian veterans, many of whom participated in the Italian campaign during the Second World War. Take a walk though the villages, battlefields and cemetaries and share the depth of emotion that she felt while tracing the footsteps of Canadian soldiers.

Wednesday 27 Oct 2010: Norman Leach

Lecture: Passchendaele (Note: Wednesday lecture)

During The First World War, the battle for the tiny Belgium town Passchendaele was one of the most significant tests of Canadian courage and expertise. The Canadians seized Passchendaele, succeeding where all others had failed, and displaying high standards of leadership, staff work and training. The Corps had suffered 16,000 casualties; nine Victoria Crosses were awarded to acknowledge the extraordinary heroism. Though the actual value of the campaign is debated to this day, one thing is certain: Canadians had been tested against the worst horrors of the Great War, and they had proven their valour.

14 Oct 2010: Film night

Passchendaele, a film by Paul Gross.

23 Sept 2010: Dr. Patrick Brennan and Mr. Geoff Jackson

Lecture: In Flanders Fields: Tour of Canada’s Great War Battlefields

Accompany teacher and student as they walk through Flanders Fields and explore the Great War battlefields of Canada and the British Empire. In May 2010 Dr. Patrick Brennan and doctoral candidate Geoff Jackson of the University of Calgary followed the trails of two First World War divisions.

Operating from leper (Ypres) in Belgium and Arras and Cambrai in northern France, they spent eight days exploring and researching the battlefields. The trip became a pilgrimage over hallowed ground - so peaceful now, so tortured then. They came to feel that they were walking with men long dead. It's a sensation that utterly overwhelms, according to Dr. Brennan. Mr. Jackson's doctoral dissertation will compare the British 62nd and Canadian 4th divisions, while Dr. Brennan is writing a book about the King's Own Calgary Regiment which, as the 50th Battalion, served with the 4th.

16 Sept 2010: James Istvanfy

Lecture Title: The War of 1812

The War of 1812 was one of the most significant events in the formation of the Canadian identity and nationalism. According to lecturer James lstvanffy, Anti-Americanism is the main component of Canadian Nationalism. The causes, course, and consequences of this war will be examined and lstvanffy simulates the conflict with a wargame demonstration. Leadership, Major Battles, Campaigns, economic background and international developments will also be examined.

Winter 2010

May 20th, 2010: Michael Palmer - "Dark Side of the Sun"

Book Launch: Michael Palmer, along with military historian Dr. Pat Brennan, explore the journey of Michael's grandfather, George Palmer and his comrades during the battle of Hong Kong where Palmer and other Canadian defenders engaged the Axis in the Second World War.

April 29th, 2010: Mark Zuehlke

Book Launch: "On to Victory: The Canadian Liberation of the Netherlands, March 23—May 5, 1945" Published to coincide with the 65th anniversary of Canada’s dramatic liberation of Holland.

The eighth Canadian Battle Series volume is the little-told story of the tense final days of the Second World War, remembered in the Netherlands as 'the sweetest of springs', which saw the country's liberation from German occupation. The liberation campaign, a series of fierce, desperate battles of the last three months of the war, was bittersweet. A nation's freedom was won and the war concluded, but these last hostilities cost Canada 6,298 casualties, including 1,482 dead.

April 1st, 2010: Donna Coates

Lecture: (Not) About Heroes: Canada and the Theatre of War

March 11th, 2010: Clarence Simonsen

Lecture: Three Corners - BCATP in Alberta, 1940-44

Monday, March 8th, 2010: Dr. Patrick Brennan

Lecture: Women in the Canadian Military

Fall 2009

Thursday 10 December 2009: Gail Duffy

Lecture: Albertans and the Great War

When the Alberta Gallery at The Military Museums was redesignated the Army Museum of Alberta, certain historical absences were noted. For instance, the First World War was addressed only minimally even though that conflict had a tremendous impact on Alberta and its population. A photo essay was developed and added to the collection as an effective and economic means of ﬁ lling the gap.

Gail Duffy will share with you some of these truly amazing images that tell the fascinating story of Albertans in the Great War. This lecture will explore how photography changed how we documented and analyzed war, from the formal artists’ concept of warfare to the “instant reality” made possible by the portable, yet bulky, box camera. You will also learn how governments used this new technology as a propaganda tool.

Thursday 26 November 2009: Dr Rob Huebert

Lecture:The New Arctic Security

Military developments in the Arctic continue to attract international attention. The role currently being played by the Circumpolar world’s military forces is the subject of intense debate. Some observers contend that troubling signs are emerging as new forces and policies develop. Others suggest that there is little to worry about; the recent expansion of military capabilities is to be expected as states look after their national interests in the region.

Dr Rob Huebert will discuss the merits of both arguments and he will explore what determinations can be made about the increasingly robust militaries that are now being built for use in and near the Arctic.

12 November 2009: W. T. Garry Drummond

Lecture: Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a relatively new practice in Canada, but one of the fastest growing criminal activities in the world. Gain a better understanding of this violation of human rights that can occur across or within borders. Understand the distinction between human trafficking and human smuggling. Learn how an individual or organized group can deprive another human being of their freedom by using force, threats, coercion, deception, or fraud for the purpose of exploitation. Trafficking in persons is a global phenomena and is hidden in plain view of the public. Learn what it is and what you can do about it.

Communities will better recognize victims of human trafficking and have a better idea of where they can be found. Victims of human trafficking are not limited to the sex trade industry, but can also be found in agricultural work, domestic servitude, and in child labor situations.

Thursday 29 October 2009: Steven Armstrong

Lecture: Are We Prepared For A Crisis?

Does our response ability match our responsibility? The expected flu pandemic, the aftermath of SARS, the forest fires in BC and California, 9/11, the tsunami in southeast Asia, and Hurricane Katrina have all height-ened public awareness of our vulnerability to disasters and the need for disaster preparedness. But have we done enough?

We tend to emphasize formal systems of emergency and security services, but communities who are not seriously impacted or are on the periphery of a disaster are expected to care for themselves. Studies show that these communities are not sufficiently prepared to meet their basic, self-care needs immediately following a disaster. Steve will discuss examples from around the world and here at home of individuals and communities accepting their responsibility to prepare. And he will address the question: What is your responsibility?

Thursday 15 October 2009: Gary Watson

Lecture: CF-104 - The Wonder Years

In the mid 1960s the Cold War was at its peak. Canada’s Air Force commitment to NATO was the CF-104 Starfighter, one of the fastest and most capable aircraft ever built. In 1964, Canada had 3 fighter Wings: two in Germany equipped as strike aircraft with nuclear weapons and one in France with cameras in a photo reconnaissance role. This presentation includes pictures and personal recollections during the period from 1963 to 1969 when Gary Watson was stationed at #1 Fighter Wing Marville, France and Lahr, West Germany.

Gary Watson arrived in France fresh from a year of intense training on the CF-104. Gary will take you onto the flight line for a unique behind-the-scenes view that even the pilots did not see. Leading the rest of NATO with the highest serviceability status, Canadian airmen also found the time to have fun and create a unique culture while working on the world’s greatest fighter aircraft. Memorable moments include German aircraft with Canadian flags, unorthodox run-ups and squadron exchanges, interspersed with the stress of Tactical Evaluations, Royal Flushes and learning how to ensure the safety of the pilots who borrowed our aircraft to defend Western Europe.

Thursday 1 October 2009: Colleen Sharpe

Lecture: Art in the Service of War

The Founders’ Gallery, the newest addition to The Military Museums, is exhibiting Art in the Service of War: The Emergent Group of Seven. Art Curator Colleen Sharpe explains the background of the exhibition and explores the members of the Group of Seven who painted during the First World War. She explains the ideas behind their artworks and how it relates to later works and themes in the exhibit.

The Group of Seven was formed less than two years after the end of the First World War and their post-war landscapes quickly created an identifiable and distinctly Canadian art style. The iconic features of the Group of Seven’s art — disturbed ground, prominent rocks, muddy colours, and skeletal tree trunks — have not been widely acknowledged as originating in the landscape of the First World War, yet it seems no accident of chronology that these men painted many of their seminal art works directly following the war. We find insight into the emergent Group of Seven in the mud of First World War trenches and among the experiences of fellow Canadians with whom they share the war experience.

Friday 25 September 2009: Colonel Christopher Coates, CD

Lecture: Canada's Air Force in Afghanistan

Joint Task Force Afghanistan Air Wing comprises all Canadian Forces air assets deployed in southwest Asia. Formed at Kandahar Airfield on 6 December 2008, JTF-Afg Air Wing operated with 450 people. The establishment of this Air Wing ushered in a new era in CF air operations; it is the first formation of its size and type that Canada has deployed to an armed conflict since the Second World War. This capability was put in place to ensure that Canada is able to play a leadership role abroad and make a meaningful contribution to international security while also protecting our sovereignty at home.

Commanded by an air force colonel, the JTF-Afg Air Wing includes the Canadian Helicopter Force Afghanistan, the Canadian Heron UAV Detachment, the Tactical Airlift Unit, and the Theatre Support Element in the Persian Gulf region. The additional in-theatre air capacity will help save both Canadian and Afghan lives by reducing exposure to ambushes, land mines, and improvised explosive devices as a consequence of ground movements. The JTF-Afg Air Wing will contribute to the security and stability required for development and governance initiatives in Kandahar.

Thursday 17 September 2009: Rory M Cory

Lecture: The War Behind the Wire

This lecture supplements For You the War is Over: Second World War Prisoner of War Experiences, the current heritage exhibit in the Founders’ Gallery at The Military Museums. Senior Curator/Director of Collections at The Military Museums Rory Cory will compare and contrast some of the stories and experiences displayed in the exhibit. The lecture will focus on the experiences of German prisoners held in Alberta and compare them to Albertan prisoners held in Germany.

Alberta housed more prisoners than all other provinces combined; this was one of Alberta’s most important contributions to the war effort. Camp life evolved around coping with extreme boredom. Prisoners developed lecture programs, stage and musical productions, sports programs, and a wide variety of arts and crafts. Escape attempts were common as well as subversive efforts to carry on the war effort in their own way. Photos not seen in the exhibit will be made available, along with a selection of photos of some of the artefacts not on display in the Founders’ Gallery.

The Military Museums of Calgary, Alberta

The Military Museums (TMM) is a Canadian Forces tri-service history, heritage, art, research, and educational institution.

The Military Museums is dedicated to preserving the memories and traditions of the countless Canadians who proudly served their country through numerous wars and conflicts by their selfless dedication, commitment and courage.